Oh, by the way -- a Grand Am note

[pchall]

The Daytona Crapotypes are indeed slower than Atlantics at Long Beach.

April 7, 2006) -- Mexican Luis Diaz claimed his third career Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve pole Friday afternoon, establishing a Daytona Prototype track record in the No. 01 CompUSA Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley with a lap time of 1:19.891 (88.681 mph) in the second of two qualifying sessions, and will lead the field in tomorrow’s inaugural Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach


Atlantics Qualifying: 1| 37| A Wirth| 13|1:16.082| 93.121

Just thought you'd all want to know. ;)

link (http://grandamerican.com/News/Article.asp?ID=6055)

[RusH]

A bit of a spoiler.\

not really.














The yellows so far are l o n g

[cart7]

I didn't see the race. Apparently there was a big crash with cars exploding and car parts flying over the fence. Anyone???

[Dave99]

...Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve...
Or whatever they're calling themselves these days. :p

But I like the way you think! :thumbup:

[gerhard911]

Yep, looked like a bomb went off.

As much as I hate the Crapwagon Coupes' it's become kinda like a train wreck (and there wasn't squat else on).

Anyhoo, the Frissel (sp ?) bros. car was disabled and trying to get off the racing line and over to pit (out/in ?) when Cheeser comes flying through and whacks them.

When interviewed, Cheeser admitted to seeing the white flag but had no explanation for not slowing and placed all of the blame on (Brian ?) Frissel for moving over.

I can't say it's all Cheeser's fault but he could have avoided it had he reacted properly to the white flag. Crash took FCY's car out as well.

[Accipiter]

Sure, Cheever's a dick, but if you blame anyone but Burt Friselle for that crash, you are letting you dislike for the former blind you to the unbelievable stupidity of the latter.

[FCYTravis]

Our car is one big pile of twisted carbon fiber, aluminum and steel junk, but Rocky is OK, out of the hospital and in good spirits after he hit the 8 car broadside at 147 miles per hour. Our earlier report that he had broken his leg happily turned out to be premature - it's just a really, really bad bruise.

[extramundane]

I didn't watch the race (go figure), but:

I hope Moran & Gidley aren't too badly injured and can quickly convalesce.

Bill Auberlen :thumbup:

AJR still turns fastest lap of the race. I wonder if GA management will force all Porsche teams to run Fabcars from now on. :gomer:

[RusH]

Great news about Rocky :thumbup:

That smash up was nasty. I heard about it during live T&S and was wondering how bad it was until Speed showed it.

[RaceCat]

It was the biggest crash I've ever seen in a DP race. Those cars never hit that big. It was really scary. Especially listening to the radio and having them roll the ambulance and talking about tranporting to the hospital and all that. I'm really glad the he will be ok.

Oh and I agree about Cheever, I can't stand the guy, but this one wasn't his fault at all. He called it when he said it was "stupid move".

RaceCat

[Lizzerd]

Oh and I agree about Cheever, I can't stand the guy, but this one wasn't his fault at all. He called it when he said it was "stupid move".

RaceCat

I agree that Mr. Ed was not at fault, and I agree too about my utter dislike for the guy. I have a real problem though, with the condescending, arrogant way he made the "stupid move" comment on SPEED. "I'm the all-knowing Eddie Cheever! You must be as perfect as I am. I've never made a mistake in my life! Be a perfect race car driver and you can be as good as I am."

[chop456]

Cheever is a dick without equal and the wreck was his fault. So was the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the great Chicago fire and the potato famine.

I liked the grandstands emptying as the race went on, too.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Cheever is a dick without equal and the wreck was his fault. So was the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the great Chicago fire and the potato famine.

I totally agree. :thumbup: Why couldn't his car have been destroyed instead of the Gainsco one?

Anyway, I think the small Southard team finishing in third despite being the only BMW (the Picchio doesn't count, that thing isn't a real car) shows that with the right drivers, anyone can still be competitive in Grand-Am.

[matthole]

I liked the grandstands emptying as the race went on, too.

That was hysterical when they started going to those earl-riffic camera angles. They can put all the lipstick on that pig they want, Grand Sham is onion gum.

Cheever is one of the most foul, offensive, moronic people in motorsport. I hope people were mean to him in the paddock. :eek:

[Turbodog]

.

Cheever is one of the most foul, offensive, moronic people in motorsport. I hope people were mean to him in the paddock. :eek:


^^^^

[NismoZ]

What about letting that 39 car back out to do 1 lap for points or something with its wheels all askew and letting that other guy out with tape and straps holding on the wing? Now THAT was as moronic as the kid turning in front of 150 mph traffic. I found no fault with anything Cheever said.

[extramundane]

Anyway, I think the small Southard team finishing in third despite being the only BMW (the Picchio doesn't count, that thing isn't a real car) shows that with the right drivers, anyone can still be competitive in Grand-Am.

Actually, I think it more accurately confirms what we already knew: Bill Auberlen is a monster who can be competitive in anything with 4 wheels.

[jcollins28]

Crash vids here...

http://koti.mbnet.fi/doomii/math/LongBeach/LongBeach2006_DaytonaP_Frisselle_Crash_live.avi

http://koti.mbnet.fi/doomii/math/LongBeach/LongBeach2006_DaytonaP_Frisselle_Crash_replay.avi

[Sean O'Gorman]

Actually, I think it more accurately confirms what we already knew: Bill Auberlen is a monster who can be competitive in anything with 4 wheels.

Which is cool because the Grand-Am formula allows for him to show his skills.

Pop quiz: How many times did Bill Aublerlen finish on the LEAD LAP in a factory BMW LMP in 2000? I'll give you a hint: the number is less than the number of confirmed full-time entries in LMP1 this year. :gomer:

[extramundane]

Which is cool because the Grand-Am formula allows for him to show his skills.

Oddly enough, most of us saw him "show his skills" well before the current Grand-Am formulae existed.

But I'm glad the Grand-Am formula is allowing such variety and not, say, a couple of factory teams to win every race so far. :gomer:



Pop quiz: How many times did Bill Aublerlen finish on the LEAD LAP in a factory BMW LMP in 2000? I'll give you a hint: the number is less than the number of confirmed full-time entries in LMP1 this year. :gomer:

We're talking about the same Bill Auberlen, right? The one who won in a Panoz last year? The one who's been practically unstoppable in a Turner BMW the last few years?

[Sean O'Gorman]

Yeah, the one who has seen success in classes where the rules are altered more frequently to keep them even. The same Bill Aublerlen who never finished on the lead lap in 2000 in ALMS because he didn't have the right car.

[extramundane]

Yeah, the one who has seen success in classes where the rules are altered more frequently to keep them even. Those classes.

My personal favorite is the one where his team's BMWs got legislated out of competitiveness in favor of tube-frame silhouette cars. Which series was that again?

[Sean O'Gorman]

Oh, you mean this BMW?

http://www.hobbyshop.ch/images/FG/BMW%20M3%20GTR%20gross.jpg

:rofl:

[Fio1]

Auberlen was kick a$$ in Formula Atlantics as well. He did a few races and was super fast. I forget the year....

I hope he lands a prototype seat this year. He is wasting his time with the current GT team he drives for this year in Grand-Am, but makes REALLY GOOD money. So, maybe it isn't that much of a waste..... :eek:

[mueber]

Sure, Cheever's a dick, but if you blame anyone but Burt Friselle for that crash, you are letting you dislike for the former blind you to the unbelievable stupidity of the latter.

Cheever was completely correct in this case. However it doesn't change the fact that he was a hack, is a hack, and will always be a hack. Cheever criticizing other drivers' incompetence, not unlike Michael Waltrip, is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

[Accipiter]

True.

[extramundane]

Oh, you mean this BMW?

http://www.hobbyshop.ch/images/FG/BMW%20M3%20GTR%20gross.jpg

:rofl:

I don't know nothin' 'bout no Schnitzer.

[RaceCat]

I agree that Mr. Ed was not at fault, and I agree too about my utter dislike for the guy. I have a real problem though, with the condescending, arrogant way he made the "stupid move" comment on SPEED. "I'm the all-knowing Eddie Cheever! You must be as perfect as I am. I've never made a mistake in my life! Be a perfect race car driver and you can be as good as I am."

That's exactly why I can't stand the guy. If he'd just keep his mouth shut he might actually be ok.

RaceCat

[extramundane]

Looks like Gainsco is becoming the team for open-wheel guys who don't get open-wheel rides. Nice pickup with Fogarty.

[RacinM3]

When interviewed, Cheeser admitted to seeing the white flag but had no explanation for not slowing and placed all of the blame on (Brian ?) Frissel for moving over.

Slow for what? A white flag used in this instance is not a yellow, it's just for a slower vehicle on the track. Cheever slows and he's gonna get passed by three cars before the end of the straight.

When I get the "slow vehicle on course" flag, I just look for a slowing vehicle, NOT for a disabled vehicle moving laterally across the track into the racing line on the fastest part of the track.

Cheever's a HUGE jackass in my book, but this one isn't a chapter in it.